Shattered Darkness
by TheGoodGamer99
Summary: This is a challenge story that I accepted a little bit ago titled The Ancient Nightmare of Remnant Challenge. If you guys want the specifics, then you guys can go check it out in my Favorite Stories.
1. Chapter 1: The Nightmare

**Hey guys, Gamer here with the Challenge story I promised you guys. I'm not really sure what else to say to start this off so I'm just gonna let you guys start reading. See you at the end.**

It was late, the towering plants of the forest casting long shadows in the growing dusk. The area was silent, with only the wind to disturb the vibrantly green leaves on the trees above and the occasional splash from a nearby stream. The shadows continued to grow, slowly becoming darker. One shadow in particular seemed to be darker than the rest as it splayed across the ground, standing just above the shadow of the tallest tree in the grove.

The owner of the shadow glanced down at the forest floor, scanning for any immediate threats. The creature stood atop the highest branch on long, pointed legs. Its body was covered in what appeared to be fur that seemed to be a dark, moldy grey and was shaped to look like a short dress, and a ring of red around the base of its neck. From the beings' shoulder sprouted long strands of fur that waved in the wind, and on the top of its head sprung a long tuft of white fur that seemed to imitate fog as it fluttered behind it, and swept down to cover one of the creatures bright blue eyes that darted from shadow to shadow. The creature almost looked like some sort of monster parents would tell their children about to get them to sleep.

As the shadowy creature watched the surrounding area, he saw a flash of light, followed by an object flying through the spot where it had stood a second before. "Tsk." The young woman who had been hiding in the brush below slowly rose, resting her personal weapon, a long silver compound bow, on her shoulder. She looked around, trying to see where her target had disappeared to, but unable to spot it in the surrounding darkness. Suddenly, without any warning, she spun around, just able to fire off one arrow before she was struck by a blast of foul wind that made her head spin. The Huntress collided with a tree, causing her to slump to her knees. As her vision began to fade, she watched as her prey darted away, out of her reach once again.

* * *

Ruby Rose walked through the hallways of the overly active Beacon Academy, the most prestigious Hunter training school in Remnant. The halls were completely filled with students preparing for tomorrow, when classes will be starting up again. Ruby, having finished her studies due to constant pestering by Weiss, had decided to go get some fresh air. As she exited the building, she stepped into the near empty courtyard, the sun having just appeared above the horizon. Ruby walked along the edge of the large plateau that held Beacon Academy, gazing out over the nearby Emerald Forest, where the initiation test for the first year students had been held a few months back. Since then, nobody really ever entered the forest, as it was infested with Grimm.

As she watched, sun broke from behind the massive shape of Beacon, covering the trees of the Emerald Forest in sunlight that sent gentle gleams from the condensed dew that had gathered on the leave overnight, making the entire forest the appearance of being a single, gigantic gemstone, glittering in the light of dawn before the dew dried up and returned the forest to its usual natural look of an old forest.

As Ruby was turning away from the massive expanse of the forest, she heard a faint sound come from the forest. Quickly turning around once more, she scanned the trees below, seeing nothing but managing to once again hear the sound, a low, moaning sound that almost seemed to be in pain, followed what was unmistakably the roar of one of the creatures of Grimm and a bright flash in a distant clearing. Without a second thought, Ruby used her Semblance, disappearing in an instant with nothing but a trail of rose petals left to show she had been there.

* * *

He looked around, but found no way to escape from his predicament. He was cornered, surrounded by several wolf-beast creatures and a single larger one that resembled a bear, all with red markings and white, bone-like masks. He eyed his attackers warily, waiting to see what they would do. He didn't have to wait long, as a pair of the wolf creatures broke away from the rest of the group and attempted to bite at him, only to be blasted by twin balls of dark energy. He heard another beast growl, and turned just in time to blast another away with a gust of dark wind. As the group around him seemed to calm down once more, he reevaluated his situation. There were still three of the wolf like creatures, along with the large bear, all of which were slowly moving in towards him, not giving him any chances to escape. Once they got within a few feet of him they finally stopped, and all that could be heard in the clearing was the sound of heavy breathing and the occasional grunt. Suddenly, all three of the canine monsters pounced, causing him to leap backwards, right into the waiting Ursa, which swiped at him with its thick paws, throwing him into a nearby tree, where he then unceremoniously fell to the ground. The last thing he saw before his vision went black was the Grimm slowly advancing to finish him off, along with a flash of red.

* * *

Ruby flew into the clearing with her weapon, a giant red and black scythe that she had named _**Crescent Rose**_ , fully deployed and saw a group of Grimm surrounding a dark grey… something, on the ground. Without a second thought Ruby ran forward and decapitated two of the Beowolfs with a quick twirl of her scythe, quickly jumping back to avoid a swipe from the last one. Planting her weapon blade first into the ground and then began to rapidly pull the trigger on the handle, fire shot after shot of dust coated bullets from the end of her weapon, quickly putting the final Beowolf down for good. Turning to the final Grimm, Ruby watched as the Ursa ignored her, instead raising its large arm to finish off the dark thing on the ground. Using her semblance once more, Ruby leaped onto the bear-like monsters back, wrapping the blade of her scythe around its neck before firing three quick shots, the momentum of which sent the blade through the monsters' thick neck like it was paper. Ruby nimbly jumped away from the Grimm as its headless body crumpled to the ground, already dissolving into black ash that got caught in the wind and carried away.

Ruby let out a quick breath she had been holding by habit, before collapsing _**Crescent Rose**_ into its mobile form, slinging it on her back, and turning to see if whoever was on the ground was okay. As she neared the slumped form, she suddenly froze, eyes wide in surprise before she quickly jumped away, her hand instinctively going to the weapon on her back. The creature in front of her bore a remarkable resemblance to the creatures of Grimm, with its red, black, and white body that seemed to resemble shadows, but it was a type of Grimm Ruby had never seen before, and that made her hesitate before she remembered that the Grimm she had just killed had been attacking this one. Realizing this, she decided to approach it slowly, hand ready to draw _**Crescent Rose**_ in a second. Inching closer to the dark thing before her, she saw multiple wounds covering its body, some of them new, many of them old. On its side hung a small pouch that she hadn't noticed earlier. It was made of faded grey leather, obviously in an attempt to camouflage it against the creatures' body, and it had a small zipper that ran along the entire length of the pouch.

With her curiosity getting the better of her, Ruby glanced at the unconscious beings face before slowly moving her hand towards the pouch. Just as her fingers brushed the soft leather, the creature bolted upright, startling Ruby enough to send her reeling back onto the ground in surprise. The creature leaped forward, apparently attempting to flee from the clearing. Before it got half way across the clearing, however, it suddenly crashed to the ground, revealing a long piece of metal protruding from its left shoulder. The shadowy thing thrashed around for a bit before it finally stopped. Ruby got up, her hands shaking slightly from her recent surprise. She began to approach the body, hearing a low rasping coming from it, showing that it was still alive. As she got closer, the creature turned its head to look at her, its vibrant blue eyes staring back at her silver ones. Ruby simply stood there staring at it, until she finally felt herself relax. _It's not a Grimm,_ she thought. _Grimm have red eyes, not blue._ She took a cautious step toward it, watching for any reaction that might put her in danger. The thing simply lay there, silent, as its' eyes followed her progress towards it. Eventually, Ruby was finally able to make it to the creatures' side, giving her a closer look at the piece of metal, which she quickly realized was actually a silver arrow. Ruby looked down at the creatures' face, before she quickly grabbed the arrow and, with an impressive amount of strength despite her small body, yanked it out. The creature roared in pain before it finally stopped, having once again lost consciousness. Ruby let out a breath she had been holding before she began examining the arrow. It was, without a doubt, a Hunters arrow. There were no one else in the kingdoms who could craft and wield such a fine arrow. Ruby stared at the red liquid dripping off of the tip of the arrow. _Well, now I know it's not a Grimm. Grimm don't have blood._

Ruby looked at the being once more, its breathing having calmed down to at least sound normal. Looking at its other injuries, Ruby made an instant decision. _I've got to get it to Beacon_! Standing up she knelt down to grab the things arm. The moment she touched it, however, she collapsed, her eyes going blank as her body crashed to the ground.

* * *

Ruby stood alone in an endless field of darkness. "Wha…!" She looked around, searching in vain for a way out, but all she saw was endless darkness. "Wh… Where am I?" She questioned to no one in particular. All she got in response was utter silence. As she continued looking for a way out, she suddenly heard a gentle whisper in her ear. "… _Ruby_ …" Ruby whirled around, coming face to face with the last person she expected to see. Before her stood her mother, her face almost completely hidden by the white hood she wore over her black clothes. "Mom?" Ruby said in disbelief. She could feel tears begin to well up in her eyes as she saw her mother smile and hold out her hand. Ruby returned the smile and reached out to grab her mother's hand. Her smile quickly faded as she realized that she her mother's hand was just outside her reach. Attempting to take a step forward, Ruby's smile completely disappeared as she realized that her mother was still out of her reach. She began taking more steps forwards, eventually breaking into a jog, which further evolved into a full sprint as Ruby began desperately reaching for her mothers' outstretched hand. "Mom!" Ruby cried, new tears springing to her eyes as she repeatedly tried to activate her semblance to no avail. After a few more moments of chasing after her mothers' image, a large shape appeared behind it and raised a large arm as it prepared to strike. Ruby's eyes went wide as she opened her mouth to warn her mother, only to find that, no matter how much she tried, she was unable to make any noise. Ruby watched, helpless, as the giant being behind her mother swiped its arm through her body, causing her to disappear into smoke, the last thing to disappear was her mouth, which was still locked into a joyous grin. Ruby fell to her knees as the monster walked forward to stand in front of her. Ruby slowly looked up, tears falling from her eyes in an endless cascade, and watched as the monster raised its arm above its head. Ruby felt completely empty, and as she sat there, prepared to see her life end, a sudden flash of light filled the dark void, and everything disappeared.

* * *

Ruby slowly opened her eyes, and was greeted by more darkness, causing her to go into a panic as she raised her arms to shield herself from the blow from the dark monster that had taken her mother. But it never came. Slowly, Ruby lowered her arms, seeing no sign of the dark monster. She looked into the surrounding darkness, looking for anything to tell her where she was, but she couldn't make out any details of her surroundings. She felt the rocks around her, making her realize that she was in one of the numerous caves in the Emerald Forest.

"H…Hello?"

Out of the darkness to her right she heard a small grunt, and turned to find the creature she had saved laying nearby. Slowly, she saw it open its eyes, which seemed to surprisingly glow in the dark.

"… _It… Worked…_ "

Ruby jumped. "W-Wait! What was that?" She asked in surprise. The voice she had heard seemed deep, old, like the voice of a wise and tired man.

The creatures' eyes moved to look at Ruby, and as she looked she could just catch what seemed to be amusement in them. " _… My… Voice…_ "

"Wait, you can speak?" Ruby asked, not quite sure what to make of the creature.

"… _Yes…_ "

"Okay, well…" Ruby hesitated, not knowing what she should say to the injured being before her. "What… What are you?"

He looked at her, blue eyes full of sadness. " _… I… Am… Darkrai…_ "

"Darkrai? Is that your name? And how did you get so beat up? And what are you doing out here? And where are we?" Ruby began rapidly throwing questions at him, never giving him a chance to answer. Darkrai simply lay there, his breathing once again ragged, and patiently waited for Ruby to finish her questions. "Oh, and one more thing. What happened to me?" The amusement in his eyes suddenly faded, replaced with a sad sort of regret.

"… _Nightmare…_ "

"A nightmare? But how did I have a…" Suddenly, Ruby's eyes widened. "I tried to touch you, and when I did, suddenly I was somewhere else." Darkrai continued to look at her, his eyes betraying the regret he felt.

"… _Protect… Me_ _…_ "

"Protect you?" Ruby asked, confused. "Like… Some sort of self-defense?"

"… _Yes…_ _Endless Nightmares…_ "

Ruby looked at him incredulously. "Endless? Then how did I wake up?

"… _Pouch…_ "

Ruby looked at the pouch, which was barely visible in the darkness. The zipper was undone, revealing the contents within. At first glance, all she saw was a few dozen small yellow fruits, but on closer inspection, she discovered that there were a few more items mixed in with the food. Among them were a small, black tablet with strange runic letters covering the surface, a second slab of stone with even more symbols covering it, a cluster of strange green things that resembled feathers and gave off a very faint glow, as well as a few odd stones.

Ruby gently reached into the bag and drew out one of the green tinted object to discover that they were, in fact, feathers. As she held the feather, she could feel a strange sense of calm wash over her, almost like the feather was erasing the tension and pain she had received from the nightmare. Ruby looked at Darkrai with an awed expression. "What is this?"

"… _A Lunar Feather… Erases Nightmares…_ "

Ruby looked down at the feather, wondering how something so small and delicate could possibly do something so impossible.

"… _Name…_ "

Ruby bolted upright in surprise. She looked at Darkrai, taking in the questioning look in his eye. "Are you asking what my name is?" He didn't answer. He just sat there, looking ragged and tired as he slowly took one of the grey fruits from his bag and began eating it. Ruby waited for him to finish before he finally answered.

"… _Yes…_ "

Ruby smiled. "I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose."

"… _Ruby…_ _You…_ "

Darkrai was suddenly cut off by a loud beeping. Ruby looked down in surprise as she began fumbling with her scroll, which lit up as she began reading the message from Yang.

 _Hey, where are you? You were supposed to get back an hour ago!_

Ruby stood up in a panic, seeing the time on her scroll. "Oh no! I have to go, now!" Ruby turned to Darkrai, who began to slowly get up, floating barely a foot above the ground.

"… _This Way…_ " He said, before he began slowly moving away. Ruby followed him into the darkness, struggling to see his form in the never ending darkness. After a few minutes of walking, Ruby was suddenly blinded by a sudden light that appeared before them as they rounded a corner. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, she saw Darkrai standing to the side of the entrance, allowing her to squeeze past him and back into the Emerald Forest.

"… _Go… Home…_ "

Ruby exited the cave, searching the top of the tree line until she finally spotted the large spire that stood in the center of Beacon. She turned back and looked at Darkrai, still covered in various wounds, though a few seemed to have disappeared. "Are you gonna be okay? I could bring a doctor or someone to help?" Darkrai looked at her, a curious look in his eye, which was quickly replaced by a gentler look.

" _... Go… Home… I'll… Heal…_ "

Ruby hesitated. She looked down once she felt something soft brush along her hand. "Oh! I almost forgot to give this back!" Ruby said quickly, holding out the Lunar Feather that was still in her hand. Darkrai raised a hand, stopping Ruby.

"… _Yours…_ "

Ruby looked at the shadowy creature in surprise. "Are you sure? What if you accidentally give someone else nightmares?" Instead of answering, Darkrai reached into his pouch and brought out a small bundle of Lunar Feathers. "Oh… Okay." And with that, Ruby finally turned away and began walking towards the trees. Just as she was about to exit the small half clearing, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder. "Hey… would you mind if I came and saw you some time? I still have a lot of questions." Darkrai stayed silent, but gave the young girl a nod. Ruby smiled and ran off into the forest.

"… _Thank you… Ruby…_ "

 **Alright guys, so, as always, thank you all a ton for reading. I've never done something like this before and I'm kinda nervous about what you guys think. But anyways, as I said in my last update, I will not be working on Sword Art for a while because I'm gonna be working on this and another challenge story I found, which is also saved in my Favorite Stories if you guys wanna check it out. Big shout out to the creators of these challenges and to you guys, please leave a review or pm me, i will personally answer any questions or anything else you guys send me. Thanks again for all your support, and I'll see you guys next time. Peace!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Dream

**Hey guys, Gamer here with the next chapter of Shattered Darkness. This ones gonna be a little shorter than usual cause it's just backstory and a tiny bit of plot, but I hope you guys enjoy it none the less. Anyways guys, commence the story!**

Ruby ran through the large open courtyard in the center of Beacon, which was now full of students walking around or sitting on the edge of the fountain or the nearby benches. Ruby ran past all of them as she bustled into the large building that housed the academy's cafeteria. There were many people in here too, eating and studying or hanging out with friends. Near the center of the room, at the tables they always used, sat the rest of her team and friends. Weiss sat with her back straight and proper, with a small porcelain teacup in front of her. Next to her sat Blake, covering a notebook as if she wanted to keep its contents hidden. On the very end was Yang, who was teasing Blake as Nora shot food into her mouth from the next table over, where the rest of JNPR sat eating their lunches.

Everyone turned to look as Ruby ran up to their table, out of breath. "Hey guys…. Sorry…. I'm late…." She said, gasping for air.

"Ruby! What took you so long?" Yang asked, smiling at her younger sister.

"I…. Got lost…. In the…. Emerald Forest." Weiss gave her a questioning look. "What were you doing there?" The heiress asked.

"Oh…. You know…. Killing Grimm…. Enjoying the scenery." Ruby answered as she stood at the end of the table next to Yang, who continued to catch Nora's grape missiles.

"So, what did you want to talk to us about?" the quiet cat Faunus asked.

In answer, Ruby pulled out an enormous binder and slammed it onto the table, causing it to shake. On the cover it said 'Vytal Festival Activities, Property of Weiss Schnee.', but the words were crossed out, and below them someone had drawn the words 'Best Day Ever Activities!' with a large red marker.

Clearing her throat, Ruby stood up straighter and looked at the people around the tables. "Sisters! Friends! Wiess!"

"Hey!"

"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream!" the red hooded brunette continued.

Yang leaned towards Blake. "This ought to be good." The fiery blonde said as she caught another grape in her mouth.

"That one day, the four of us would come together, as a team, and have the most fun anyone has ever had… ever!"

"Did you steal my binder?" Wiess asked, leaning forward to get a better look at the cover. Ruby got a mischievous smile on her face and held her hand out in a peace sign. "I am not a crook!"

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked, steering the group back to the original conversation.

"I'm talking about kicking the semester off with a bang!"

Yang's face suddenly lit up. "Well, I always kick my semesters off with a _Yang_!" Everyone looked at her with a disappointed look on their faces. Yang just kept smiling, until a well-aimed tomato from Nora bopped her in the face.

"Look guys, it's been an amazing two weeks, but between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our semesters' going to be great! But classes start back up tomorrow, which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today!"

"I don't know whether to be proud, or scared of what you have in store." Wiess said as Yang stood up and chucked an apple at Nora's head, which she dodged and let hit the guy behind her, causing him to drop his breakfast all over the floor.

"Actually, I think I might sit this one out." Blake said.

"Sit out or not, however we spend this last day, we should do it as a team." Wiess said, standing up. "I for one, think that…!" That was as far as she got before a terribly aimed pie from Nora flew right into her face. Everyone looked at Nora, who pointed at Ren, whose face was in his hand. Next to him, Jaune and Pyrrha were wide eyed.

Wiess slowly turned towards team JNPR, radiating her anger. "This. Means. War!" The heiress said, picking up a nearby plate of food.

Darkrai sat in the same cave he had dragged Ruby into. Around him lay the remains of several Sitrus berries he had in his pouch, and his wounds had almost all healed. He leaned back against the rough rock wall, his mind occupied by thoughts of his new young friend.

He had taken a risk in letting her leave, but he had been unable to bring himself to keep her against her will, especially after she had been subject to his nightmares. She was fortunate that he had some Lunar Feather still, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to wake her until he had completely healed. He closed his eyes as he sighed to himself. _I'll just have to trust her for now_. With this thought, he finally drifted off into sleep.

Darkrai felt himself descend into what some would think of as the 'Realm of Dreams'. Tonight, it started out with him standing in a vast, empty void. Slowly, a bright light appeared in the distance and began slowly approaching him. With every inch it moved towards him, the light seemed to grow in size and brightness, until Darkrai was forced to close his eyes. Slowly, the light faded, and as he opened his eyes he was met by a familiar scene. He stood in a small grove, the location of which was, to this day, unknown to humans. In the very center of the grove was a large rock that seemed to imitate a raised stage and had a series of gouges in it. On either side of the clearing were two small bodies of water. He had seen numerous dreams take place here back when the world was widely inhabited by Pokémon. He was currently standing in Pledge Grove, the area said to be the training grounds of the Swords of Justice. He was surrounded on all sides by dark, blurry shapes, all milling around, as if waiting for something to happen.

As he watched, two of the shapes broke away towards the rock stage. The first of the shapes looked vaguely humanoid, as it was about the same size as a young human. It probably could have passed off as human, too, if it wasn't for the two small horns on its head, three fingered hands, and large tail as well as the intimidating aura coming from him. It was as if he was filled with an unprecedented amount of bitterness. The second shape, which approached from the opposite direction, was small, with a strangely shaped head that seemed to resemble a star. This being radiated pure innocence as its tiny body floated about four feet off the ground as it approached the stage, giving a small greeting to the other shape. The two shapes seemed to be making small talk, almost like they were waiting for someone else.

It didn't take long to figure out who.

A shrill shriek sounded through the grove, causing all the beings around him to give a slight shake. Darkrai looked up and spotted a dark blot moving through the sky, slowly descending towards them. This being was far larger than any of the others around him, easily large enough to fill a large portion of the unoccupied space in the clearing. Darkrai tried, but was unable to make out any details of the creature, other than the large, bat-like head and long wings and tail that all resembled clawed hands. While the other beings had given a feeling of innocence and bitterness, as this new creature landed, everything else faded and was replaced with a single feeling that almost made him faint, even in the dream. In an instant, Darkrai new exactly who this entity was.

Yveltal, the physical embodiment of death and destruction.

Slowly, the Pokémon changed from its shadowy outline to a perfect image of Yveltal. The creature's body pulsed a deep red, with black lines that reminded him of veins running along its body. At the ends of its wings and tail were a set of razor sharp claws that were just as long as Darkrai was tall. Around the base of his neck was a length of greyish-white hair that resembled some sort of scarf as it fluttered in the wind. On the other end of its long neck, its small blue eyes examined the shapes in the clearing from under the dark, blade-like appendages that sat atop his pointed head.

If that's Yveltal then…

Darkrai turned around to find that the two figures on the stage had also taken on their appearances. Upon the rock stood Mewtwo, the most powerful psychic type Pokémon in the world, and, beside him, Jirachi, the wish Pokémon.

Darkrai's heart fell as he realized what dream he had just entered. No, not a dream. A memory. Darkrai watched as Jirachi floated over to Yveltal, seeming unaffected by the waves of death coming off of him, and began talking to him. Mewtwo, meanwhile, turned to the crowd, his voice telepathically entering the minds of everyone.

"Welcome, friends. We thank you all for coming to support our cause. For too long we have been at war with the humans. Up until now, there has been far too much unnecessary bloodshed, and far too many innocent lives lost. Tonight, we have come together to make sure that the deaths of our friends and families are not in vain. Tonight, we will use the power we have been given to put an end to this war and finally bring peace. Tonight, we remember Mew."

Darkrai heard applause and agreement from the crowd around him as Jirachi floated back over to Mewtwo. "Friends, using my power to grant wishes, we will create a new species that will serve as a buffer between us and the humans. By doing this, we hope to force the humans to distance themselves from us, so that both species can live on with limited interaction with each other." Jirachi paused, looking out over the crowd that had fallen silent. "However, to achieve such a large wish will require cooperation from all of you. Using Mewtwo's powers to amplify my own, we will create a new species from the remnants of those that have fallen to Yveltal." Murmurs began to spread throughout the crowd. Jirachi raised one of her small hands to silence the crowd. "We know many of you are not pleased with this plan. However, due to recent circumstances, we have no choice but to…"

"Recent circumstances? What could possibly make you so afraid that you would do this?" Darkrai looked towards the back of the crowd where the voice had come from. He spotted a small feminine figure that seemed to give off a very strange aura, almost like she was generating joy, but also sadness.

Jirachi glanced at Mewtwo, almost as if she was asking permission for something. Mewtwo gave Jirachi a small nod. Darkrai saw the small Pokémon sigh as she turned back to the crowd. "I will not sugar coat this, as there is no possible way to do so. Arceus has disappeared."

The grove grew silent, not even the wind breaking the thick silence that hung over the crowd. Darkrai stood in the center of the crowd watching as the other shapes turned to look at one another, the shock they had received evident. He turned to look once more at the being that had spoken up, only to see it walking away from the crowd.

Jirachi examined the crowd, a sad expression on her face. "I'm sorry we did not tell you all sooner, but we believe that this is now our best chance of ending this war without completely eradicating both the humans and ourselves. I beg all of you, please help us."

The shapes around him seemed to be whispering among themselves, discussing what they should do. Jirachi gave Mewtwo a doubtful look, to which the powerful being gave her a slight nod, staying silent as the whispers of the crowd finally died down. Out of the crowd came a voice. "Well, if what you say is true, then we will all agree to help." As one, all of the Pokémon turned to the rock, all voicing their support of the plan. Jirachi smiled at the crowd.

"Thank you, friends. Now then, let us not waste time. We will begin the process immediately."

Darkrai stood there, unable to do anything, unable to stop what he knew was about to happen. As the group of shapes began moving toward the rock, a bright light appeared in front of Darkrai, and he was forcefully whisked away from the scene as he began to wake.

When Darkrai woke, it was dark out, the silence of the night only broken by the occasional howl from the Grimm that inhabited the forest. He lay there, his mind whirling from the scene he had just witnessed. He knew exactly what he had seen. The single worst disaster in the history of the world. That was the day that they created…

Darkrai was suddenly wrenched from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps. Cautiously, he began to literally sink into the shadows filling the cavern. He watched, silent, as a female walked into the cave, slowly and carefully making her way through the darkness. Darkrai slowly moved, appearing as no more than an overly dark shadow. As the woman continued on her way into the cave, he managed to get a look at her.

She was tall, with broad shoulders and a strong frame. Her skin was tan, the result of hours spent outdoors. She had short maroon colored hair, almost brown, that brought out her hazel eyes and pointed features. She wore a dark green top that exposed her midriff and dark green leggings that went down to her knees. She wore brown combat boots and a white scarf around her neck, and her clothes covered by thick leather pads that covered her shoulders, legs, chest, arms, and all her vital areas.

As Darkrai continued studying her, he noticed something glint on her back. Carefully circling around her, he froze. He immediately knew who this woman was. As he watched her examine the walls of the cave, he could feel himself start to shake.

On her back hung a large silver compound bow.

Darkrai quickly backed away from the woman, frightened that she might notice the dark splotch on the ground. Fortunately, she seemed to be focused on something else. He watched the woman pull out a holographic scroll, press a few buttons, and a dark figure appeared on screen. The figure looked to be male, with a broad figure, but all his other features were hidden.

"What did you find?"

"There are signs that the target was here," She held up the remains of one of his Sitrus Berries so the man on the screen could see it. "But it appears he isn't here any longer."

The man sighed, almost as if he had been expecting this. "Understood. Keep searching. He may still be in the area. Speaking of which, where are you?

"The Emerald Forest, near Beacon."

"Beacon?" The man paused, deep in thought. "Maybe we could use that to our advantage."

"Sir?"

"Nothing. You are to move your operation to Beacon."

"Understood."

"That will be all, Jade."

Without another word, the man disappeared from the screen. Jade Winchester stood up, brushing the dirt off of her legs as she turned to leave. Darkrai felt himself begin to relax as he watched the woman walk towards the exit, before she stopped. Slowly she turned around, seeming to stare directly at Darkrai, and smiled. For a brief second, he was certain that she could see him. Finally, she turned around and left the cave, heading in the direction of Beacon Academy.

 **Alright guys, once again I've got to say I'm sorry for the short chapter, I absolutely hate doing them, but I promise that the next chapter will be longer. Anyways, if you haven't already, feel free to check out the challenge for this story in my favorite stories, and please leave a review or pm me and tell me any ideas you guys have or what you think of the story so far. Anyways guys, thanks for reading. Peace!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Answers

**Hey guys! Gamer back with another chapter of Shattered Darkness! If you guys haven't yet, then go ahead and feel free to head over to my profile and check out my favorite stories so you can look at the details for the challenge which is saved there. Or don't, some people like to be surprised. It's up to you. Anyways, it's time to get down to business. It's story time!**

Ruby yawned as she looked at the clock. They still had another seven minutes until class ended, and Professor Port's stories weren't making the time go by any faster. Peter Port was a traditional, albeit larger, man, sporting his usual look of an English gentleman with his red suit coat and black slacks. His eyes were always near-closed, making it look like he was always squinting, and his neat gray hair and bushy eyebrows matched perfectly with his neatly combed mustache.

To her right sat the rest of her team, all of whom shared the same bored expression as every other student in the class. Ruby sighed as she put her head back down onto her desk, fighting to keep herself in the world of consciousness. Just a few more minutes and her last class would be over. After that Yang still had one class she had to go to and Weiss and Blake had decided to go study in the library for Oobleck's class. This would be the only time she would have to sneak off and go see Darkrai. She still had so many questions she wanted to ask him, and as she thought about what she was going to ask him, she stopped focusing on the clock. Ruby suddenly jumped as the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Ruby quickly began gathering her books before Professor Port stopped her.

"Just a moment, students, I have an announcement. Your afternoon classes have been postponed by an hour. You are all to gather in the main hall for a special meeting. Dismissed." And with that, everyone began gathering their things and heading for the main hall like Professor Port had told them to. The main hall was easily one of the largest rooms in Beacon, other than the auditorium and the cafeteria. The ceiling stretched high above their heads, making the room feel even larger than it actually was, and at the far end of the room stood a low stage, upon which was a single microphone. When Ruby and her team walked in, they noticed almost all of the other students were already in the hall, milling about as the few remaining stragglers walked into the room.

"I wonder what this meetings gonna be about." Yang said.

"Oh, it's probably just some sort of announcement about the festival. You know how busy its gonna get with all the students coming here." Weiss said.

"Yea, probably." Ruby agreed.

"Quiet! There's Ozpin!"

The four girls turned towards the stage to see that Ozpin had indeed appeared on the stage. He was tall, with messy gray hair and small, somewhat crooked black glasses and light brown eyes. He wore black slacks and dress shoes along with a dark green shirt underneath a black vest with bronze buttons, and a jacket that seemed to be another shade of dark green, almost black. He also wore a green neckerchief tucked into the top of his vest, on which was a silver brooch with a purple stone that resembled a pointed cross. Tucked under his arm was a long black cane with a silver handle and he also held his usual cup of coffee.

"Hello students. You all may be wondering why you have been summoned here on such short notice. Well, that is because of a new development that has appeared. As of one hour ago, we have received word of an extremely dangerous new Grimm that has found its way into the Emerald Forest. We don't have a clear description of the new species, but we believe it looks much different from your typical Grimm. Furthermore, students are prohibited from actively hunting it. If you happen to run into it and it attacks, then and only then may you engage, otherwise you are to avoid it at all costs." Ruby saw Ozpin make a small motion to someone off to the side of the stage and in response, a woman stepped out. She wore green clothing and had tanned skin, almost like she had spent her entire life in the outdoors. She walked right up to Ozpin and stood next to him as he continued speaking. "'In order to help solve this problem as quickly as possible, we have decided to have an experienced Huntress join us here and begin a search for the Grimm."

At this, the woman stepped forward. "Hello, I'm Jade Winchester. If any of you discover any leads on this new type of Grimm, please do not hesitate to speak to me. I look forward to working with you all."

"Now, unless anyone has any information on this Grimm, you are all free to return to your classes." Ozpin finished. The headmaster then turned and proceeded to make his way off the stage, followed by Jade.

As the students began to make their way out of the hall, Ruby and her team found themselves being swept along by the flow of people, until they were able to break away in front of their dorm room.

"Wow, a new species of Grimm! I definitely want to go find it!" Yang said, her sense of adventure breaking through to the forefront of her mind.

"Yang, you heard Ozpin. We're not allowed to go hunting it." Wiess said.

"Besides," Blake spoke up. "Don't you have class?"

Yang's smile suddenly flipped. "Ah shit! Goodwitch is gonna kill me!" Yang said, taking off down the hallway.

"Typical Yang." Wiess said before turning to Ruby. "So, are you sure you don't want to come study with us?"

Ruby smiled at her partner. "No, thanks. I was gonna go into Vale to pick up a new part for _Crescent Rose_."

"Okay then. See you later." And with that her teammates left, heading towards the library.

Ruby opened the door to her team's dorm and walked in, dropping her books onto her desk. She began quickly changing out of her school uniform and donned her usual outfit consisting of a black and red short dress, with laces covering the stomach and a belt that held an emblem shaped like a silver rose and a single ammo magazine and a small collection of individual bullets. She wore long black leggings with black and red combat boots that came half way up her shins, and she also wore her signature red hood. Grabbing _Crescent Rose_ off of her bed, she was just about to leave when suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Who could that be?" Ruby said, opening the door. On the other side of the door stood the last person Ruby had ever expected to knock on her door. Jade Winchester stood there, her expression as shocked as Ruby's.

"Ummm… Can I help you?" Ruby said, unsure what to say to the Huntress.

"Oh! Sorry, I must have gotten the wrong room!"

"Oh! That's okay. What room are you looking for?"

"My brother's."

"Your brother?" Ruby paused for a moment before it finally clicked in her head. "Wait… are you Cardin's sister?!

Jade smiled at the young girl. "Guilty as charged."

"But you two look nothing alike!"

Jade laughed. "Not all siblings look alike, Ruby. Take your sister for example."

Ruby looked at the Huntress in surprise. "How did you know my name? And that I have a sister?"

Jade gave Ruby a small wink. "You never go on a mission without intel. I've read up on all the students of Beacon, and even the ones coming from the other kingdoms for the tournament. All part of the job."

"Oh, I see. Well, if you want I could show you where Cardin's room is. I'm actually heading out anyways."

"Really? That'd be great! Thank you."

Ruby left her room and, with Jade right behind her, began heading down the hall. As she walked, she continued making small talk with the Huntress. "So, how many missions have you been on? Have you ever been to all the kingdoms? How many Grimm have you killed? What are you gonna do after your done hunting the Grimm here?"

"Ummm… What?"

Ruby smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I'm very excitable."

"So I can see."

Suddenly, Ruby got a strange glimmer in her eye. "So… can I see your weapon?"

"You… wanna see my weapon?"

"Very much."

"Ummm… Sure, why not."

She reached behind her and grabbed a small sliver clump of metal. As she held it in front of her body, it began to unfold much like how _Crescent Rose_ does, until she was holding a large silver compound bow. It was sleek in design, appearing incredibly thin and light weight. It had a long swirling design covering the surface that almost seemed to look like runes.

"This is my weapon, _Gilded Moon_."

"Ooooo! I've never seen anyone who used a bow before. But wait, don't you need arrows to fire it?"

"Of course you do. But for me…" She reached up her other hand and slowly drew back the drawstring until her wrist had reached back to her shoulder. As Ruby watched, a silver aura formed around Jade and then began to fade from everywhere but her hand. The aura began collecting at the tips of her fingers, slowly becoming solid, until it finally formed the shape of a long silver arrow. "… I can make them." And with that, she released the string, causing the arrow to rocket down the hall, embedding itself in the door at the end.

Jade smiled, pleased at how well her little performance had gone, before she turned back to Ruby. "Well, that's my weapon, now about my brother's room… Ruby? Are you alright?" Ruby stood next to the Huntress, her face filled with shock and her mouth hanging open. _That arrow… It can't be!... Than the new Grimm their hunting is…_

"Ruby? Hey, what's wrong?"

Ruby snapped out of her shocked state. "Oh, um, it's nothing. It's just that… I've never seen a semblance like that before, so… yeah, anyways, Cardin's room is the one you just shot. I've got to get going, I have something I need to pick up in Vale. Bye!" Before Jade could say anything more, Ruby took off down the hall in a puff of rose petals, leaving Jade with her own shocked expression.

"What a weird girl."

* * *

Darkrai sat in the darkness of the cave, trying to come up with a plan to escape this new predicament. By now, all of his wounds had healed completely, and he felt much better. _They haven't given up yet. How long are they going to keep chasing me! If only there were a way to have them stop…_

Darkrai's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the faint smell of rose petals as they suddenly began filling up the cave, followed by the exhausted panting of Ruby Rose, who had just sped there all the way from her dorm. Darkrai rose from where he had been resting and moved to greet the young girl.

" _Hello Ruby_."

"Dark… rai…" The young brunette said between gasps. "I… just saw… a Huntress… silver arrow…"

Darkrai felt his chest grow cold as he pieced together what Ruby was saying. " _Where was she._ "

"Beacon. She told everyone you were a very powerful Grimm and that she would hunt you down.

" _So she wants to use the academy to search for me._ " Darkrai sighed as he floated back over and sat back down on the ground.

"Darkrai? Who is she? Why is she hunting you?" Darkrai gave her a sad look before motioning for her to sit. She moved in front of him as sat on the ground, waiting for his answer.

" _Long ago, there were no Grimm in the world, and everything was peaceful. The humans were smart, resourceful, and intuitive. They managed to live side by side with another group of beings, who had special abilities and extraordinary power. These creatures were called Monsut._ " "Monsut? Is that what you are?" Darkrai nodded before continuing. " _We managed to create a peaceful world for centuries. And then the unthinkable happened. Mew, one of the first Monsut, was killed. By humans._ " Ruby's eyes went wide, but she remained silent. " _Soon afterwards, a great and terrible war broke out between the Monsut and the humans, until hundreds were killed, by both sides. The humans made it their goal to destroy every trace of the Monsut, and thus they destroyed all documentation on them and ruined our homes and habitats, all the while killing mercilessly in an attempt to erase us from the world. The war would have seen both groups to extinction if it was not ended. And so, the Monsut devised a plan to put a stop to the war. Using our remaining abilities and powers, we would create a new species that would act as a divider between the humans and ourselves. The plan succeeded, but not in the way we wanted it to. The species we created were even more merciless than the humans, killing indiscrimantably, both humans and Monsut, forcing the war to end before these creatures destroyed both species. These monsters are known as…_ "

"The Creatures of Grimm." Ruby said, finishing his sentence.

" _Yes, and ever since then the two species have been separated_."

"But then why is Jade hunting you?"

" _While most of humanity had forgotten us, not all of them have. There is yet a single group of humans that remembers the war of old. They believe that the only way to put an end to the Grimm, is to completely wipe out their creators. Us._ "

"You keep referring to the Monsut as a group, so does that mean there are there more creatures like you out there still?"

" _Like me? No, I am the only Darkrai. However, there are most likely other Monsut still in hiding around the world._ "

"Are any of these Monsut more powerful than you?"

Darkrai went quite, deep in thought. " _Of the ones I know still live… There are four I would say are more powerful than I. Celebi, Kyurem, Zygarde, and Mewtwo._ "

"Mewtwo? Isn't that the Monsut that died?"

" _You speak of Mew. Mewtwo is an extremely powerful Monsut that was created directly from Mew's genes. It was his power that was used to help create the Grimm._ "

"Oh. Well, what about the other three? What are they like?

" _Celebi… wasn't very powerful, but she had a very unique ability that was considered rare even among the Monsut. The ability to travel through time. Kyurem, on the other hand, was very powerful. He would be described by people today as a dragon, using ice to fight all that opposed him. And Zygarde was, by far, one of the most powerful Monsut to ever live. While I have ever only seen it once, when he achieves full power, he is capable of destroying countries, though he is almost never in his completed form._ "

"There are really Monsut that powerful? How have we never heard about them before?"

" _As I said before, the humans had erased all records of the Monsut during the war, and while we Monsut are not as technologically advanced as the humans, we have our own ways to avoid detection._ "

"Are there any Monsut in Vale?"

Darkrai shook his head. " _I have only been in Vale a short time, and have been cut off from all of the remaining Monsut for a long time, so if there are Monsut here, I wouldn't know._ "

"Where were you before you came to Vale?"

" _Before I came to Vale, I was hiding on a small island south of what you would call Mistral. About a month ago, the Huntress found me on the island, forcing me to flee. I've spent the past month trying to escape, but she has followed me even this far._ "

Ruby got a puzzled look on her face. "But Darkrai, if you're so powerful, then why don't you just fight her?"

Darkrai shook his head again. " _Out of the question. If she were to be injured and taken to receive care, then the world would once again learn of the Monsut, which would ultimately lead to another war. Killing her wouldn't make it easier for me either, as another, more powerful Huntsman would be sent to kill me. In the end, the only option I have is to escape._ "

Ruby went quiet before she iterated her next question. "… Does that you mean you have to leave?"

Darkrai looked at her, surprised at her question. She looked somber, waiting for his answer, which caused him to hesitate before he responded. " _Not yet. She still hasn't found me here, so it's possible to avoid her if I stay. The fact that she has enlisted Beacons help also means that she is probably running low on resources, which should force her to remain a somewhat close distance to the school. In essence, if we can get her to leave Beacon before she finds me, then I might finally be able to escape for good._ "

 _Why am I saying this? The Huntress has always found me in the past, no matter what tricks I use. So why am I able to say this with such conviction?_ Darkrai looked at the young team leader, watching as her depressed mood melted away in a second, replaced with a bright smile.

"So all we have to do is convince Jade that you're not here?"

" _Overall, yes. If she believes that I have moved on from this location, she should leave to give chase. However, it will not be an easy task. This woman has been hunting me for months, and her persistence is beyond measure. It will take a tremendous amount of work and planning to convince her. And we will have to work fast. Every second I stay here, is another that she is using to find me._ "

"Right! Then we have no time to lose! Operation Get Her Out is a go!" Ruby said, jumping to her feet and pumping a fist into the air, eliciting a humored laugh from Darkrai.

" _Patience young one, we are in no shape to start any operation. Firstly, I need to relocate to a location that she is less likely to search._ "

"Okay, then, where could we… OH!" Ruby's eyes lit up suddenly as an idea popped into her head. "I know just the place! Follow me!" With that, Ruby began walking towards the entrance. Darkrai quickly gathered up his few possessions into his pouch before following the excitable brunette.

Ruby lead Darkrai through the large expanse of forest, only stopping to deal with the occasional Beowulf. Before long, the trees began to thin out until Darkrai entered a large clearing that held some sort of circular ruin that had a series of pedestals. In the distance he could see even more ruins in the shape of towers and buildings and even what looked like a temple across a wide gorge.

"This place should work. These ruins are all over the place, which should give you plenty of places to hide. These ruins are also used and maintained by the school for the initiation challenge and some of the classes, so a lot of students come out here, which means that Jade might not search here."

Darkrai examined the clearing. There were indeed hundreds of places to hide, and it would be easy to see anyone coming from the school due to the large clearing between the structures and the tree line, which would allow him plenty of time to hide himself.

" _This is perfect. As long as I'm here, it will be very difficult for the Huntress to find me. Thank you._ "

"Alright! Well, I've gotta get back. Yang's class ends soon and Weiss and Blake should be done studying and are probably wondering where I am."

Darkrai nodded. " _Thank you for your help, Ruby._ "

The young girl smiled. "Of course, what are friends for?" And with that, Ruby Rose disappeared in a cloud of rose petals, her semblance carrying her towards Beacon. Darkrai stood there, slowly taking in the faint scent of the rose petals as they were stolen away by the wind, fluttering over the tree line. _Friends…_

 **Alrighty guys, that's the end of chapter 3! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Now before anyone asks, I decided that it wouldn't make sense to call them Pokémon in this story. The reason is that Pokémon is another way of saying Pocket Monster, and since there are no Pokéballs in this story, the name just doesn't make sense. Anyways, I want to thank you all for reading, I really hope you guys are enjoying this story as much as I am. Please leave a review or PM me and tell me what you guys think. Remember, if you review and aren't logged into an account, then I have no way of answering your questions without uploading a story, so please try to ask questions while logged in because I personally enjoy responding to your reviews and PM's. Any who, thanks to everyone for reading, and I'll see you guys when I upload the next chapter of The Hunter Named Rose. Peace!**


	4. Apology

Hey hey guys, Gamer here. I apologize for the real lack of uploads. I've been going through some stuff irl and my wifi stopped working for a while now. I promise to start uploading when I can, and I just want to thank all the people who have been favoriting and following my stories. I just love how much you guys are enjoying my writing and. I hope to keep you guys entertained with future updates. Peace!


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